Pastoral Academic Care (PAC)
Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) Focus - Purposeful Living
Well Being Element - Meaning and Purpose
Character Strength - Love of Learning
Parent Wellbeing: Parent Wellbeing: Self-discovery is a lifelong process. It is about continuously developing your self-awareness and making small adjustments to be gradually working towards becoming your best self. The key is to be totally honest with the person you see in the mirror, to identify and use your strengths, to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small, avoid justifying your behaviours and learn more intelligent approaches to fix the mistakes that you make. Are you on this journey?
Acknowledgement: Sonia Lyubominky
Year 7
Mrs Kath Czinner
Year 8
Natalie Mellowship
Welcome back to all our Year 8 students and families. We hope that you had a restful break and are prepared for the triumphs and challenges that this academic year will bring.
PAC teachers are students and families’ first point of contact. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s PAC teacher in the first instance. Our Pastoral Academic Care team for 2022 are as follows:
Leader of Learning Year 8 - Natalie Mellowship
8PAC1 - Brad Powers and Matt Griffin
8PAC2 - Megan Wooster and Denise Fittler
8PAC3 - Cheryl Leggett and Shane Moffitt
8PAC4 - Mellissa Bell and Dea Trigwell-Lindley
The Year 8 theme for this year is ‘I Succeed - Resilience Builds Success’. Sometimes we want to quit because we’re afraid to fail or make a mistake. The truth is, struggle and failure are the very ingredients of growth and success. This week during their PAC period, students focussed on 8 Secrets to Success. Why do people succeed? Is it because they're smart? Or are they just lucky? Analyst Richard St. John identifies that it’s neither. He condenses years of interviews into a 3-minute slideshow on the real secrets of success.
During Week 4, on the 24th of February, we will be hosting our College Swimming Carnival. Last year we had great levels of participation from our 2021 Year 7 cohort and we’re hoping to see the same again. Don’t forget the more events you enter the more house points you are awarded!
The world wide web is an amazing tool in our modern society and especially when used as a tool for learning, but, at times, it can be used in a negative manner. Please be sure to continue having open conversations with your child about what is safe and appropriate online behaviour, especially on platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. If you would like further advice or information on this, please don’t hesitate to contact the Year 8 PAC team.
Please ensure that your child is referring to the uniform policy for both their formal and sports uniform (refer to page 23 of the PAC Junior Diary). If you need to purchase more uniform items, please contact the College office to book an appointment at the uniform shop.
UNIFORM: The College uniform requirements are in our student diaries.
Natalie Mellowship and the Year 8 PAC Team
Year 9
Mr Mark Fulloon
A big Welcome back to our new Year 9 students and the start of the 2022 school year. I will look forward to working with this group of students and will also look forward to see how they grow together with their learning and school based activities and experiences throughout this year. The PAC team and teaching staff is working hard to make it a settled start for Year 9 and to support them going into this stage of their education. Year 9 have made a great start to the year and I would like to congratulate them all for this.
Mark Fulloon (on behalf of the entire Year 9 PAC team).
Year 10
Mr James Russell
It is fantastic to have Year 10 buzzing around back at school. As a year group, they seem to have returned with great enthusiasm and the positive attitude that is needed to make the most of Year 10 studies. It really has been very pleasing to have a number of teachers comment on how settled Year 10 have been and that they are working well in their new PAC Groups. Allocating students into PAC Groups is a very difficult task and one that takes a lot of time and consideration. We take into account different combinations of students, considering their strengths and weaknesses, who they work well with versus who distracts them and many other factors. We also keep in mind the importance of challenging students to develop their self-confidence and interpersonal skills and hopefully their ability to work with others and develop new friendships. At the end of the day, class allocations are never perfect…but we aim for what is best for both individual students and the collective year group. Many students ask to change PAC Classes at this early time of the year, but we are generally quite reluctant to do so. Our ultimate goal is for our students to grow and develop and this can only happen when they are challenged. Challenge is difficult, but it is an essential part of the growth equation.
In setting a strong foundation for the year ahead the Year 10 Cohort have been looking at the outstanding role model that is World Number 1 Tennis Player, Ash Barty. Students have been reflecting on what it has taken for Ash to achieve incredible success despite enormous challenges and adversity. We are also spending time looking at her character and why she is so loved by all who know her and the general public alike. The ultimate goal in studying Ash Barty is that it will encourage students to come up with a Year 10 Goal that leads us all towards great effort and personal and collective success in 2022.
Year 11
Amanda Bell and Frank Patricks
Me;We
Me, as a person, has so much to give to the College community,
We, as a group, can achieve so much for the College together
The whole Year 11 PAC team would like to welcome you back and wish you the greatest success in 2022. It is a great opportunity to start with a clean slate and embrace your senior years at the College as mentors and leaders. We as a team know the great things you are capable of.
Leadership
It has become evident from the very beginning of this year's term that every student is stepping up and recognising their role in being a senior student at O’Connor Catholic College. At the time of writing there has not been one negative entry to compass. This clearly shows that this year group is taking their learning seriously and knuckling down and engaging in the school community. This shows clear leadership from the whole group so well done.
LYL
Congratulations to the Lasallian Youth Leadership team who recently received their badges. Your actions and example is an expression of an excellent way to actively participate and conduct yourselves to the whole community.
Study periods
The year 11 cohort now have the opportunity to take advantage of 2 hours of study per fortnight where you have the option of doing it in the library or going home and doing it at home. If you chose to go home the College needs to have your parents/guardians permission. It is asked to be completed in the form of a written email to the College. If you do not have permission from your parents/guardians to leave the College grounds you are required to go to the Library and study in this area. Students who leave without permission will be considered to be truanting and be subject to disciplinary action as set out in the school policy.
This coming Monday the College is holding an information night for the year 11 cohort. All family and staff are invited to attend this evening, running from 6 pm for a little under an hour. The link for the evening is available through the Compass notification.
Uniform
Just a reminder to look at the diary for the policy on uniform. At present, there are a number of students that are flagrantly wearing apparel that does not match the Colleges expectations. Please sort this out.
Swimming Carnival
On the 24th of February, we enjoy the annual swimming carnival. So get involved and participate in as many activities as you can. Don’t forget the more events you enter the more points for your house. So, get in, get wet, get going and have a great time.
Well being
It is really important that during the next 18 months you live a well balanced life. Balancing your study with work and with fun activities is really essential. Take a look at your diary and read some of the great ways you can balance your hectic life. With a well balanced life, great outcomes will occur.
Spirituality
Look into your soul and feel the greatness that comes from within, knowing there is a much bigger plan for you in the future. You have greatness to give. Use your talents and look for the guidance that is all around you and grasp the greatness that is within. That's the meaning of our Year 11 theme: Me, we.
Amanda Bell / Frank Patricks
Year 12
Mrs Vicki Channon
Welcome back to all of our HSC students. Wow, a big few terms ahead as we all work together to reach that ultimate goal of gaining the Higher School Certificate. ‘WE’, being the important word!!!
The students setting personal challenges and goals as they head towards the finish line; friends helping each other when times get tough or studying for different subjects, the individual classes working together as a whole to challenge each other to achieve the best that they can. The student leadership team, setting good examples for the rest of the cohort and the College as a whole, EVERY student in Year 12 stepping up to ‘be better’ for the benefit of all. The whole year group collaborating on issues that are important to all, seeking refuge in those that know what they are going through.
Teachers and every staff member at the College who are aware of our young people and the task that is ahead of them all through the learning goals set by each student and visible to our staff.
Parents/carers/friends/family members provide support, nourishment and an environment in which our young people can thrive. They provide a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, and hopefully lots of hugs:)
We are all a collective and we are on this journey together. We look forward to taking this journey with our 2022 Year 12 students and we are here to support in any way we can, so please reach out to us if you need.
I have attached a letter regarding the flexible learning arrangements for this year and also a copy of the Study Day that was held Wednesday 9th February.
The sessions presented on this day to the students were very worthwhile and I wish to thank the following people for their organisation and time taken to not only plan the sessions but run the sessions throughout the day. It is a big ‘ask’ on top of a teacher’s normal day, so my heartfelt thanks go to Mr Chapman, Mr Tonkin, Mrs Roff, Mrs Lemon, Emelia Rice and Jason Newcombe for the amazing effort in providing such insight for our ‘Class of 2022’.
I encourage those students who did not attend the day to reflect on why they thought it was ok to ‘take the day off’ on their own accord. The expectation was for all of the cohort to attend, (except for extenuating circumstances) and to be part of the team.
I use this clip a lot when talking about teamwork. Worth a look:)
The Power Of Teamwork - Funny Animation
Vicki Channon and the Year 12 PAC team.